84-year-old woman killed by school bus in Fortuna; students offered counseling after Tuesday collision

An 84-year-old Fortuna woman was killed Tuesday morning after she was hit by a school bus filled with elementary school students, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The driver of the 1993 Thomas school bus, 60-year-old Helen Belloni, was turning left from School Road onto Rohnerville Road when she struck Audrey McRoberts within a crosswalk at 7:39 a.m., according to CHP Officer Paul Dahlen and the Humboldt County Coroner's Office.

Deputy County Coroner Roy Horton said McRoberts lived with her son close to the scene of the collision, and was out for her daily morning walk, carrying her Yellowstone National Park walking stick, when the accident took place. He said McRoberts suffered fatal injuries when the school bus' tires ran over her body.

"The entire weight of the school bus went over her," Horton said. "The front and back wheels went over her."

Dahlen said Belloni was transporting 18 students to Ambrosini Elementary School from Toddy Thomas Middle School when the left side of the bus struck McRoberts. He said no one on the bus was injured, and the children were held in the school bus until another one showed up to transport them to school.

"It's a terrible, terrible accident," Dahlen said, adding that alcohol and drugs were not factors in the incident.

As a result of the accident, Rohnerville Road was blocked off for about two hours. Dahlen said there are about 10 witnesses, not including students who were on their way to school when the accident took place.

Humboldt County Office of Education Assistant Superintendent Richard Hanger said there are counseling services available to students affected by the accident.

"We sent a team of psychologists and counselors to the schools," Hanger said. "Services were offered throughout that immediate area."

He said parents seeking counseling for their children should contact their child's individual school to find out what services are available.

Parent Liz Tieck said her 5-year-old daughter typically takes the bus driven by Belloni to Ambrosini Elementary School, but happened to miss the bus Tuesday. Tieck said her daughter informed her that the school held an assembly to tell students about the accident. Tieck said Belloni is a nice woman.

"I've never had problems with her before," Tieck said.

Multiple people on the Times Standard's Facebook page voiced support for Belloni, stating she is a longtime bus driver who would never do anything to hurt another person.

Representatives with the Fortuna Union High School District, Belloni's employer, couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday. Representatives with the Humboldt County Office of Education's personnel department couldn't be reached for comment either. It is unknown how many years Belloni has been a bus driver and whether she's been placed on administrative leave pending the CHP's ongoing investigation.

Dahlen said he has heard that Belloni has been working as a bus driver for more than 30 years. He said Belloni wasn't arrested and that it's up to the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office to decide whether they want to file vehicular manslaughter charges against Belloni.

At a glance:

If your child was emotionally affected by Tuesday's accident where a school bus hit and killed an 84-year-old Fortuna woman, you're encouraged to call your child's school to see what counseling services are available. A representative with the Humboldt County Office of Education said psychologists were sent to schools in the vicinity of the accident.